With This Ring
by EmmaJ1996
Summary: "He couldn't be late today. It was his wedding day. If he was late today, she would kill him. Cause of death: one single perforation of the duodenum of 9mm caused by heel of wedding shoe, leading to peritonitis, resulting in shock and septicaemia." For Claire.


**With This Ring**

**Birthday fic for WelshClaire - have an awesome SW filled day! Hope you like this :)**

* * *

She stood there, dressed in white, just staring. Staring at her reflection in the mirror.

She dialled the number, a number she knew better than the back of her own hand. Why didn't she just use her speed dial? Because then she would be speaking to him sooner. She needed time to mentally prepare herself for this conversation. With each ring, she prayed silently that he wouldn't pick up the phone. Hearing the click on the other end of the line, she sighed as she realised she couldn't simply hang up now.

"You shouldn't be calling me," came his voice.

"I know, I just...I needed to hear your voice," Nikki replied, her voice breaking slightly.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?" His sleepy demeanour now sounded concerned, wondering what could be wrong on today of all days.

"Hang on, were you asleep?" Nikki faltered, her head changing the subject by default. She needed more time than this. She wasn't prepared to tell him. Yet.

"No?" Harry replied, although he didn't seem so sure, as he began to stifle a yawn.

"You're not even dressed, are you?" Nikki cried, beginning to feel stressed. Today of all days, Nikki could not understand why he had decided to have a lie-in.

"I was about to jump in the shower, and then I will get dressed," he sighed, trying to calm her down and put her mind at ease.

"Don't be late. Please." Nikki whispered.

"I will most definitely, absolutely, 100%, not be late," he assured her, hanging up the phone, before sprinting towards the shower.

"He's going to be late," Nikki muttered, to nobody in particular.

"Nikki? Who are you speaking to?" Janet's voice popped her head around the bathroom door, seeing the phone in her hands.

"Nobody," lied Nikki, but her wavering voice wasn't fooling Janet at all. Nikki sighed, before resigning herself to a lecture from Janet.

"Harry. It was Harry," sighed Nikki, her lip quivering. Seeing her face slightly tear-stained, Janet sighed, enveloping Nikki in a hug.

"You shouldn't be speaking to him, you know that, darling," sighed Janet, "You'll be seeing him later anyway. What couldn't wait until then?"

"I'm pregnant," Nikki whispered, "I was going to tell Harry that I'm...pregnant."

"Oh, Nikki, come here. Isn't that a good thing?" enquired Janet, failing to see the apparent problem.

"Yes, but, what if he changes his mind? About marrying me?" cried Nikki.

"That's what you're scared of? Nikki, he loves you. Really loves you. He wouldn't be marrying you otherwise," soothed Janet, handing Nikki a tissue.

"I know. I just...I want this to be perfect," Nikki murmured, dabbing her face with a tissue in an attempt not to smudge her make-up.

"Honey, it's your wedding day. How much more perfect does it get?" smiled Janet warmly.

"It doesn't," smiled Nikki, her voice steadying and sounding slightly more confident.

* * *

Harry had no idea how he had managed it, but he had got to the church on time. Her phonecall probably gave him a good kick up the backside, otherwise he would have probably stayed in bed a little longer.

But he couldn't be late today. It was his wedding day. If he was late today, Nikki would kill him. In front of two hundred guests on an altar. He imagined his own PM report for that day. Cause of death: One single perforation of the duodenum of 9mm, caused by heel of wedding shoe, leading to peritonitis, resulting in shock and septicaemia.

"Harry? Sort your hair out," Leo sighed, pulling Harry out of his daydream of his gruesome death at the hands of his fiancé. Harry ruffled his hair with a single hand, grinning, unable to see the problem.

"Find a mirror, find a comb, anything would be an improvement," Leo tutted, sounding much like an exasperated parent than his best man, walking up the aisle, away from Harry.

"Hang on, where are you going?" Harry exclaimed, slightly annoyed that he was being left at the altar by himself, with nobody to amuse himself with.

"To wait for Nikki," Leo sighed, as if was the obvious thing in the world, turning on his heel to face Harry, who was standing at the altar with his arms folded like a petulant child.

"Why?" Harry's face was a combination of confusion and curiosity.

"Well, she can't walk herself down the aisle. How else do you suggest I give her away?" Leo inquired.

"Wait, you're giving her away?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"Yes, so?" Leo couldn't see the problem. Nikki had asked him to walk her down the aisle the day after he found out that Harry had finally proposed.

"Well, you're my best man," Harry said, with just a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Yes, and?" Leo asked incredulously.

"And...nothing," Harry replied sulkily, getting his phone out. She had stolen his best man. And why? To walk her down the aisle. Talk about sneaky. She'd never said anything about Leo giving her away.

"Don't," Leo warned him, seeing the look on his face, and knowing exactly what he was about to do.

"I'm just ringing her. Is that a crime now?" Harry cried.

"It's bad luck," Leo chided, trying to prise the phone from Harry's fingers.

"And you're superstitious," Harry laughed, stepping out of his reach.

* * *

Seeing the caller display, his number flashed on the screen. Nikki instantly picked it up, much to the chagrin of Janet, who didn't see the reason for speaking to each other an hour before the wedding.

"Hey, please tell me you're dressed now," Nikki said, trying her best to stay calm, but preparing herself for his answer anyway.

"Why didn't you tell me Leo was giving you away?" Harry asked brazenly, ignoring her question completely.

"Because you're such a well-adjusted person, I knew you wouldn't mind?" Nikki smiled, "Does it matter?"

"Yes it does," Harry whined, "I asked him first."

"Okay, here we go. Harry, she'll see you later, okay? Bye," Janet sighed, taking the phone away from Nikki and ending the call, her sudden assertiveness shocking Nikki slightly.

"We don't have time for this. We're late. The car's waiting. Come on, time to go," Janet said, grabbing her keys, phone and some tissues and trying to fit them into her clutch.

"Wait, I'm not ready," Nikki hesitated, closing her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Out." Janet sighed, ushering her out of the door, her patience running thin.

* * *

Standing at the altar, Harry could hear the car pull up. He wanted to see her, he was too nervous and too excited to wait until she was next to him at the altar.

"Don't," a familiar voice came appeared next to him, with a suit jacket with the sleeves rolled up, presumably as they were far too long for him.

"Zak, do you want to be a stand-in for my best man? You know, just until Nikki gets to the altar," Harry tried to ask casually, hoping it didn't sound as insulting as it did in his head.

"I think I'll pass," scoffed Zak, "Seeing as you didn't ask me the first time round."

"Fair enough," Harry agreed solemnly.

"Look, he means a lot to her. To both of you. You shouldn't be sulky, you should be proud," Zak imparted his words of wisdom.

"I'm not sulky," Harry muttered.

"Yes, you are. And your tie isn't straight," Zak said, turning to take his seat in the second row, behind Harry's mother, who was already tearing up, with a bundle of used tissues in her lap.

* * *

"Ready?" asked Leo, holding his arm out for Nikki to link.

"As I'll ever be," Nikki smiled, her eyes twinkling with tears just waiting to fall.

As the music begun, Nikki and Leo made their way down the aisle, smiling at their friends and colleagues, before eventually stopping before Harry. Nikki kissed Leo on the cheek, before giving him a curt nod, silently allowing him to take his seat next to Janet, at the side of the altar.

"You're late," whispered Harry, trying not to gain the attention of the priest, who was droning on about the binding contract of marriage, and telling a parable which Harry did not understand.

"You made me late. You called me," Nikki reminded him, trying not to smile.

"You called me first," Harry mumbled under his breath.

* * *

The ceremony was beautiful, with not a dry eye in the congregation. It didn't go as smoothly as planned, tension mounting as the priest dictated the lines of "lawful impediments" and "forever hold your peace". It didn't help at that exact moment, Zak came back into the church, having gone in search of a toilet, slamming the door quite loudly and attracting everyone's attention.

Now, at the reception, Harry and Nikki had just started their first dance as a married couple, completely absorbed in the moment. Harry whispered something in Nikki's ear, making her giggle. Leo rolled his eyes, knowing that Harry was destined to make a joke at some point.

Nikki's smile, however, quickly faded, as she gazed at Harry intently.

"What?" Harry smiled, looking slightly puzzled.

"If I told you right now that I was pregnant, what would you say?" Nikki leant up, whispering her words against his earlobe. Harry paused, leaning back to look at Nikki, sighing.

"I would say," he began slowly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "That you really know how to pick your moments," he smiled, stroking her cheek, and stealing a quick kiss. Now it was Nikki's turn to look puzzled.

"I mean, you don't mind? Honestly?" NIkki murmured softly, holding onto him tighter as they began to dance again.

"Family. Might be nice," he assured her, his words mirroring the first time he asked Nikki to dance, at the christening a few years back.

"One day," Nikki spoke softly, mumbling her assent at his words, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"One day soon," Harry smiled, kissing the top of her head, earning a contended sigh from Nikki.

* * *

On the other side of the room, Zak made his way over to Leo, taking a £20 note from his pocket, and handing it to him.

"You win," Zak groaned, "You were right. They were in love all along. How did you know?"

"The same way they did. One day, they just knew. See that girl there in the blue dress? That's Charlie. She used to work for us. Go talk to her. Ask her to dance," Leo smiled, trying to point her out to Zak and still remain subtle.

"Why?" Zak asked, confused.

"Because she's been watching you all night," Leo stated, matter-of-factly, smiling knowingly as Zak made his way over to her and introduced himself. A few minutes later, they were dancing.

"Was she really watching him all night?" Janet questioned her partner suspiciously.

"No, but after this, she will be. It's the same trick I used for Harry and Nikki at the Christmas party a couple of years ago."

"Does the trick work?" asked Janet.

"You look at Harry and Nikki. You tell me," smiled Leo, taking Janet's hand and leading her onto the dancefloor.

* * *

"They totally set this up," Nikki whispered, looking over at Leo and Janet.

"Definitely. It was all them," Harry replied, leaning down to kiss her softly.

"Harry?"

"Mmm?"

"I love you," Nikki smiled, her eyes twinkling again.

"Oh, good. Because I love you too. Mrs Cunningham," Harry grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist.

* * *

**2000 words of fluff, because the weather is too nice to write angst :)**

**As always, my amazing Witness Army, read, review, and ignore all my incoherent posts on Twitter at 2am!**

**Em xxx**

**PS/ Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 4 of Catch22 :) Hugs to you all xox**


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